While Gaël Monfils was participating in his first tournament padel au Padel Club de Lyon, the French number 1 in tennis has returned to the padel, a sport he practices " regularly appear ". He participated in this tournament alongside Robin Haziza, French champion of padel 2015 and 2016.

Gael, it was in the United States that you discovered the padel ?

Gael: The real story is that we had with Robin the padel 10-12 years ago in France.

Comfortable with windows?

Gaël: In tennis, we are comfortable with that. So at padel, I try to adapt. During this tournament, the players spin the balls a lot, so we don't really know what to expect. But the reflexes come. And then I'm lucky to have a partner in this tournament (Robin Haziza) who talks to me a lot, even if I think he gets distracted at times from talking to me.

Talking, do you get bogged down Robin?

Robin: not too much. I used to talk during games. I am a communicator. It's a great added value to play with Gaël because he's unpredictable, but it's true that sometimes he plays a bit backwards. But the fun is to play together.

How do you feel to go from Jeremy Scatena to Gael Monfils in your game?

Robin: Gael, paradoxically, takes out the balls a lot less and he smashes a lot less well than Jeremy. But I have a guy next to me who goes much faster than him, who plays less at padel, with whom I have a bond ... Jeremy we've been playing football for 10 years. padel and this is the 1er tournament that we do together but in the 2 case I'm having fun with both players. We would not have played the same way with Jeremy it's obvious but I'm not here to shine, what I want is to have fun with my friend in any conditions.

How do you approach a padel in competition ?

Gael: What is very hard for me is that I don't know anyone, I don't know how they play so it's always Robin who tells me and what is good. For me, even if the player is very strong, I don't know who he is so when I come on the court I'm the same as my 1er match while in front of me it is maybe 10 times stronger.

Robin: Do you prefer to play Roger Federer who has played twice padel or play Garcia?

Gael: Of course I prefer to play Roger Federer who has played twice and again… I think I prefer Hector Garcia! J

3 games is a lot?

Gael: It's a lot of three games, we just played 2:15, replay immediately behind it is physical ...

Robin: it's good that he bears witness to that because there are a lot of backbiters who say that the padel it is not a really very physical sport and we imagine that Gaël Monfils who is perhaps the best physique of tennis on the world circuit and who says that playing 2h15 at the padel and playing behind it is still complicated, it proves that it is a real sport in its own right with its qualities and its own types of games.

Gael: For tennis players, there are other muscles that work, it's another effort. Moving is much more like moving on grass, you have to be low on your legs.

What condition do you think you are at the end of the tournament?

Gael: I'm going to be very tired. Above all, I was not prepared. We were among friends last night, we had a good meal, we did not go to bed very early either. It's going to be a weekend where I'm going to go out tired. Monday recovery jogging for sure and can be quiet in training.

You are not afraid to have reflexes of padel during your tennis training?

Gael: Exactly, every time I play padel and that I play tennis right away I like it because I have a poor volley in tennis and that helps me. At padel you always have to take a small step forward, that's often what I miss in tennis that small step.

Robin: I think for once it's complementary. I, who was a tennis player even if I was not at his level, the rare times I play tennis again I have the impression that I read the trajectory a little better, that I am less surprised because padel the balls go fast, you have to chain 3,4,5 shots quickly, in tennis you have a little time to come and see the ball and for the volley and small footwork it is quite complementary.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.

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